The invention pertains to a device for grouping or isolating articles such as during boxing, wrapping, or other article-handling operations.
Devices of this type are required at the inlet areas of packaging machinery in order to isolate individual articles or groups of articles that approach as a flow of a closely packed rows, and which are subsequently packed into boxes, cartons or shrink wrap foil. In order to achieve this objective different types of construction have been suggested, such as, e.g., grouping devices that are arranged under a conveyor belt that supplies the articles and are equipped with fingers that reach through gaps between the individual conveyor belts that form the conveyor path (EP 0 485 937 B1). In addition to poor accessibility to the grouping mechanism, the necessary gaps between the individual conveyor belts are also a disadvantage, since the stability and smooth flow of the transported articles is impaired, while foreign bodies can fall into the grouping mechanism and cause faults.
Moreover, grouping devices that are arranged laterally on conveyor belts and engage the flow of articles are also known, but these are designed in a very space-consuming manner and, disadvantageously, can only be used for a single track flow of articles (EP 0 447 123 B1, EP 0 126 553 B1, EP 0 400 295 A1).
A further disadvantage of the known devices resides in the extensive conversion that is required for articles having different formats.
The object of this invention is to provide a compact, easily accessible and flexibly applicable device for grouping or isolating articles.
As a result of the use of program controlled drives for the grouping device, there is a high level of service convenience along with a conversion time that, simultaneously, is as short as possible to change over to different types of articles. Differing single article lengths or article group lengths can be adjusted in a gapless manner by merely changing the program or modifying the program.
If the stopper cams that are required to isolate the groups of articles are integrated into the guide rails, then, according to one advantageous further development of the invention, the adaptation of the grouping device takes place at the same time as the rail adjustment that, in any case, is necessary when a conversion to another articles dimension is required.
In the case of a multi-path design, it is also convenient to have good access from above, while no space is required underneath the conveyor for the grouping device. Exemplified embodiments are explained in the following on the basis of the figures.